This invention relates to dog control apparatus, and more particularly to a combination collar and muzzle loop that are used with a leash to effectively control and train a dog.
Various halters have been developed to enhance control of a dog. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,483,275 and 4,566,255 issued to DeGroot provide for control halters featuring a combination of collar and muzzle with the muzzle being connected to the collar portion by three or four connecting members. The apparatus cannot be applied or removed without also applying or removing the collar. This makes the use of the apparatus difficult with an uncooperative animal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,660 issued to David teaches a muzzle loop on the leash that only passes through a single cinch ring on the collar. This provides for a poorly stabilized loop that too easily rotates about the muzzle and is too close to the collar.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a dog control apparatus that includes a collar assembly that can be readily used as a conventional collar and that enables the user to apply a muzzle loop portion by simply snapping on two connectors to the collar. This is especially helpful for animals that are difficult to handle. It is another object of the invention that the muzzle loop be spaced away from the collar and stabilized in position. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when the detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings in which like elements are designated by like reference characters in the various drawing figures.